Outsider Hartberg has won all three away games in the master group so far. Nevertheless, the Styrians on Sunday (from 5:00 p.m. in the LIVE ticker) should not be a stumbling block for the league leaders at the guest appearance in Salzburg.
In addition, the “Red Bulls” would be determined prematurely as champions of the Bundesliga with a win, provided that pursuer LASK does not get any more points.
Almost three weeks ago, the Salzburg team celebrated a clear 6-0 victory in Hartberg and also showed themselves last Wednesday evening at the historic 7-2 in Vienna against Rapid in top goals. “We will try to be as uncomfortable as possible for them,” promises Hartberg coach Markus Schopp, but is aware of the severity of the task.
Above all because his already tense personnel situation has worsened: Lukas Ried is suspended for yellow, and for that his midfield colleague Jürgen Heil the season has ended prematurely due to an ankle injury.
Is Hartberg an RBS stumbling block?
“In Hartberg it was easy at 6-0, but we still have to be ready and need a good performance,” Salzburg coach Jesse Marsch warns above all about the “switching behavior” of Hartberger and expressly praises Schopp’s work.
“Compliments to Hartberg and Markus, they always played very well and bravely away. They even beat the LASK and played in such a way that they had nothing to lose. We have to be careful, that kind of opponent can be dangerous.”
2: 1 at LASK, 4: 2 at WAC and recently 1: 0 at Rapid is the Styrian away record of success in the master group. This should now end on Sunday in Wals-Siezenheim. “Our goal is to win every game,” said Salzburg defense chief Andre Ramalho. “Hartberg has not yet lost a point away, but in the end what counts is what we do on the pitch.”
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LASK points: Salzburg does not want to burn anything
Salzburg already has an eight-point lead over LASK three laps before the end, who lost four points at the green table due to prohibited team training during the Corona break and wants to contest this judgment at the Permanent Neutral Arbitration Court.
The table is therefore “not at all in the head,” assures Ramalho. “For us, every game counts. We just don’t know how much of an advantage we have over the LASK,” said the Brazilian, knowing that the table could change even after the end of the season.
Therefore, it is now important to win the next two home games – Sturm Graz is coming on Wednesday – and thus to have final certainty about the championship question before visiting the LASK on July 5.
It would be the seventh Bundesliga title en suite for Salzburg and a further improvement of its own record. In addition, the series champion already holds 99 league goals, which could also drop this record, especially when you consider that the Salzburg goal against Hartberg has been 4.2 so far.
Salzburg go for Bundesliga goal record
The Bundesliga goal record from the 2013/14 season, but when 36 and not 32 rounds were completed before the reform, stands at 110. At that time the goal cut was 3.06, currently the “Bulls” even stand at 3.41 . According to Ramalho, such arithmetic games are “not an issue in the team. Our main goal is always to win games and titles. But such records make it even more special,” notes the 28-year-old.
Ramalho is now one of the master’s regular staff again. Due to the occasional role as a substitute in autumn, he did not let himself get discouraged, but continued to work hard on himself and also sought direct, open conversation with Marsch. The coach frankly admitted on Friday that he was “stubborn” in the personnel “and maybe made a mistake”. But now Ramalho is clearly one of the leading players again.
“We have stability behind, aggressiveness ahead and also the mentality,” says Marsch as success factors on the way to the upcoming title. And should the mark of 100 league goals be reached on Sunday, that is special for the 46-year-old American. “100 goals are exceptional. I have never seen such a dangerous team in my career.”
Text: © LAOLA1.at/APA
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